President - Cabrillo College

Welcome to the

Superintendent/President's Office

Dr. Jenn Capps joined Cabrillo in January of 2026. Her aspiration in life has always been to work with young people. Dr. Capps is originally from the Washington, D.C. area and started her career as a Counselor. She then moved to Denver, where she lived for 24 years, holding various roles, primarily in education and helping professions. Dr. Capps is a licensed professional counselor specializing in juvenile rehabilitation and crisis response. She earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from George Mason University and her master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Colorado Denver. Dr. Capps was the Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she advanced public-private partnerships in fields including health, technology, and hospitality, and increased community engagement and financial resiliency.

In Dr. Capps' immediate past role, she was the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) Humboldt, and led the self-study that established Humboldt as California State University's third polytechnic university and helped secure a $458 million state investment that expanded workforce-aligned academic programs, increased enrollment, and enhanced student success.

Dr. Capps is deeply committed to creating student access to education, and believes that access drives excellence - in order to have excellence, you must have access, and you must have diversity. She is a firm believer in building trust and cultivating positive relationships with everyone - faculty, staff, students, and our collective community. In her free time, Dr. Capps loves art, travel, running, and surfing but most of all her two big lovable pups Chester and Hamish.

Our Philosophy

Mission

We are a welcoming community college dedicated to providing an equitable, high-quality education. We are committed to helping students meet their career, academic, and life goals, guiding them in becoming culturally responsive leaders, effective communicators, and critical thinkers. We work to promote economic liberation and social justice, eradicate structural racism, and foster inclusivity by cultivating an environment of innovative teaching practices, support services, and learning opportunities for all students, especially those from historically marginalized communities.

Vision and Value Statements

Vision Statement

Championing our community of diverse learners through innovative education towards economic freedom and social equity.

Values Statements

As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), we are committed to supporting equitable access and opportunities for historically underrepresented and emerging student populations. These values demonstrate our dynamic learning environment where students reach their full potential as future leaders, innovative thinkers, and global citizens.

Equity, Student Focus, and Respect - We respect the diverse and often unrecognized journeys and achievements of each person, and the fundamental dignity of every human being.
Inclusive Teaching and Learning - We provide a supportive environment that enhances the learner's experience in the accumulation of knowledge, the sharing of ideas, and the celebration of achievement both within the classroom and throughout the college's community of learners.
Excellence, Collaboration, and Ethics - We encourage and support the brave and courageous exchange of ideas nurtured through respect, trust, and consideration of differences.
Social Justice, Global Citizenship, and Ecological Stewardship - We commit to social justice and fostering transformative change in our mindset and actions individually, institutionally, and in our communities toward building a socially and ecologically just and sustainable world.